Nutrition - Weight management and dieting

As stated earlier, people's body weight is mostly controlled by
their bodies' set point. Weight is also somewhat affected by how
often people exercise. Many people try to change their body weight
through dieting, which usually involves eating less or a combination of
eating less and exercising. Some people, in an effort to lose weight
quickly, may take diet pills or engage in unhealthy weight management
practices. Dieting is not a healthy way to control body weight. The best
way to stay healthy is to eat properly and exercise regularly. With
regular exercise and good nutrition, most people will naturally fall to
the weight appropriate to them, that is, their set point. In fact,
experts say that when people are exercising, they need more food in
order to function.

FAD DIETS

Just as fads in fashion come and go, so food fads come and go. A food
fad is a food or nutrition style, practice, or craze that many people
adopt for a period of time. The most common food fads are related to
weight loss. Usually they are the same exact diet plans that get
recycled each year under a new name. Each time a promise of
unbelievable weight loss is what makes the diet appealing. It may be
based on special foods a person has to buy, a magical powder or drink,
or a fat dissolving capsule developed to "melt away" the
pounds. Fad diets usually restrict people to eating primarily one type
of food and promise unbelievable weight loss in a short period of
time. Fad diets are unsuccessful because they violate almost all of
the principles of healthy eating.

Most food fads are short lived, but they are always replaced by a new
fad. It's important to be aware of them. For example, the
cabbage soup diet promises a 10- to 17-pound weight loss in just the
first week of eating cabbage soup, a fat burning food. The truth is
that you probably would lose weight on such a diet, but it would
largely be due to loss of extra fluid (water) and because of the
extreme restriction of calories. In reality, it's very
difficult to eat just one food for a whole week, and it certainly
isn't healthy. Sadly, with most fad diets people can spend a
considerable amount of money only to be disappointed that the weight
they lost (if any) reappeared as soon as they returned to their
typical eating habits.

Although it may be frustrating at times when one is anxious to lose
weight, it is best to lose weight slowly over a longer period of time
by eating normal foods and exercising. The longer it takes to lose the
weight, the more likely a person is to keep the weight off.

Dieting can be dangerous because it often deprives the body of the
nutrients it needs to function properly. In addition, dieting can also
cause people to gain weight. This happens because the body's
metabolism (the rate at which the body uses energy) lowers in response
to not getting enough food. Any food the body does receive is then
stored as fat. This is a survival method used by the body to get the
food it needs. When people go off diets, their metabolism is still
lower, which means when they start eating more, they will store even
more food as fat. The result is more weight gain. Experts recommend that
dieting be avoided at all times. Being healthy and fit is a lifestyle
choice. It doesn't happen on a temporary diet, and it
doesn't happen by denying the body food. It happens when a person
eats nutritious food and exercises.

In addition, dieting can turn dangerous when a person engages in
unhealthy behaviors, such as taking diet pills, fasting (not eating over
a period of time), or purging (vomiting) the food. Many times, a diet
can lead to a serious eating disorder. [
See
Chapter 13: Eating Disorders for more information.]

Weight Loss Programs and Products

Nearly 8 million Americans enroll in structured weight loss programs
each year. While some programs do succeed for some individuals,
unfortunately most people fail to lose the weight permanently. The
problem is that most programs don't teach people how to change
their eating habits and exercise regularly to promote good health.
Frequently new diet books and plans appear, usually with some gimmick
offering quick, painless weight loss. Many of these diets do nothing to
change food behaviors permanently or create a weight maintenance
program. Most are inappropriate for lifetime eating patterns, may be
nutritionally inadequate, and possibly dangerous, especially for young
people. For example:

Not based on scientific fact, limits choices, compromises
nutrition, impossible and unhealthy to maintain

Liquid drinks or package foods

Control total calories eaten by replacing meals or snacks

Products alone do not help you lose weight, no flexibility

Any claims by weight loss programs or products that people can lose
weight effortlessly are false and unhealthy. Fad diets or diet gimmicks
rarely have any lasting effects since radical changes in eating habits
and patterns are difficult to maintain over time. Crash diets often send
a person into a cycle of quick weight loss followed by rebound weight
gain.

Beware of pills and powders claiming to burn, block, or flush fat out of
the body. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Some diet
pills may be able to control appetite but can have serious side effects.
For example, amphetamines—a common appetite suppressant found in
many diet pills—are highly addictive and can have damaging
effects on the heart and nervous system. There are numerous weight loss
programs available today. Some are schemes that come and go and others
have stood the test of time. The main thing to remember is that these
programs are a business like any other and aim to make money. If one
plans to join a program, it pays to do some homework first. There are a
few things to know before making any financial commitments to a program:

Understand the program's format. Is it individual or group? Is
it necessary to buy their food?

Does the program offer one-on-one counseling? Does it reward or punish
members based on the amount of weight lost?

Does the program include all food groups every day? A well-balanced
diet is important for good health. Beware of programs that have
definitive "good" foods and "bad" foods or
exclude any particular kinds of food.

If a program utilizes its own prepackaged foods, taste them first. It
would be a terrible shame to invest time and money and find the food
inedible. More important, is the packaged food healthy? Check sugar
and salt levels on the packages.

Does the program fit into one's lifestyle? Is it affordable? Is
it risky? Does the program help make positive behavior changes and
encourage a safe personalized exercise program? These are the tools to
help keep the weight off. If a program cannot provide these, then one
should reconsider.

Do the counselors in the program have an education in nutrition,
psychology, and exercise?

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